Assens, Switzerland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Assens
Coat of arms
Assens Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Assens Location in Canton of Vaud Show map of Canton of Vaud
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Vaud
District	Gros-de-Vaud
Area
• Total	8.46 km2 (3.27 sq mi)
Elevation	635 m (2,083 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,143
• Density	135.11/km2 (349.9/sq mi)
Postal code	1042
Surrounded by	Bioley-Orjulaz, Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Échallens, Étagnières, Malapalud, Morrens, Saint-Barthélemy
Twin towns	Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises (France)

Assens is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It's part of the Gros-de-Vaud district. The municipality of Assens includes the areas of Bioley-Orjulaz, Malapalud, and Assens itself.

History of Assens

Assens was first mentioned in official records way back in 1228. Back then, its name was Ascens.

Over time, some changes happened to the municipality.

• In 2009, the community of Assens decided to join with the nearby area of Malapalud.
• Later, in 2021, the municipality of Bioley-Orjulaz also became part of Assens.

What is the Geography of Assens?

Assens covers an area of about 5.35 square kilometers (which is about 2.07 square miles). Let's look at how this land is used:

• Farmland: About 79.1% of the land is used for farming. This includes fields for growing crops and pastures for animals.
• Forests: Around 11% of the area is covered by thick forests.
• Built-up Areas: About 9% of the land has buildings or roads. This includes homes and transportation routes.
• Water: A small part, about 0.2%, is made up of rivers or lakes. All the water in Assens is flowing water, like streams.

Assens used to be part of the Échallens District. But in 2006, it became part of the new Gros-de-Vaud district. The town is located on the main road connecting Lausanne and Échallens.

What is the Assens Coat of Arms?

The coat of arms for Assens has a special design. It is described as: Vert, in base a Garb, in chief two Crosses bottony, all of Or. This means:

• The background color is green (Vert).
• At the bottom (in base), there is a bundle of grain (a Garb).
• At the top (in chief), there are two crosses with rounded ends (Crosses bottony).
• All the symbols (the grain and the crosses) are gold (Or).

Who Lives in Assens?

Assens has a population of about 1,143 people.

• In 2008, about 10.3% of the people living in Assens were foreign nationals.
• The population has grown quite a bit, by about 25.4%, between 1999 and 2009. This growth happened because more people moved to Assens and more babies were born than people who passed away.

What Languages Do People Speak?

Most people in Assens speak French.

• About 91.8% of the population speaks French.
• German is the second most common language, spoken by about 4.7% of residents.
• Italian is spoken by about 1% of the population.

Where Are People From?

In 2000, here's where people in Assens were born:

• About 27.9% were born right in Assens.
• About 41.4% were born in the same canton (Vaud).
• About 17.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland.
• About 11.4% were born outside of Switzerland.

How Old Are People in Assens?

Here's a look at the age groups in Assens in 2009:

• Children (0-9 years): 13% of the population.
• Teenagers (10-19 years): 13.2% of the population.
• Young Adults (20-29 years): 11.4% of the population.
• Adults (30-59 years): 43.4% of the population.
• Seniors (60+ years): 18.6% of the population.

How Many People Live in Each Home?

In 2000, there were 303 private homes in Assens. On average, about 2.7 people lived in each home.

• About 17.5% of homes had only one person living there.
• Some homes had five or more people.

Historical Population Changes

The chart below shows how the population of Assens has changed over many years:

How Does the Economy of Assens Work?

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Assens was 2.4%. This means very few people who wanted jobs couldn't find them.

What Kinds of Jobs Are There?

In 2008, there were jobs in three main areas:

• Primary Sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 45 people worked in this area.
• Secondary Sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). About 48 people worked here.
• Tertiary Sector: This is the largest sector and includes jobs in services. About 169 people worked in this area. These jobs include sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, finance, and healthcare.

Many people who live in Assens travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 12.9% of workers used public transportation, and 66% used a private car to get to their jobs.

How Do People Get Around in Assens?

Assens has its own railway station, called Assens. This station is on the Lausanne–Bercher railway line, which helps people travel to nearby towns.

What Religions Are Practiced in Assens?

Based on a 2000 survey, here's a look at the religious groups in Assens:

• Roman Catholic: About 45.8% of the population.
• Swiss Reformed Church: About 36.2% of the population.
• Other Christian Churches: About 6.23% belonged to other Christian groups.
• No Religion: About 10.65% of the population said they did not belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.

What About Education in Assens?

Education is important in Assens.

• About 41.3% of adults have finished high school (upper secondary education).
• About 13.6% have gone on to higher education, like university.

Schools in Assens

In the 2009/2010 school year, there were 142 students in the Assens school district.

• Pre-school: The local government provides two years of optional pre-school.
• Primary School: Students attend primary school for four years. There were 82 students in the municipal primary school program.
• Lower Secondary School: This program lasts for six years. There were 59 students in these schools.

Some students from Assens go to schools in other towns, and some students from other towns come to school in Assens.

Images for kids

• 

  The church in Assens.

See also

In Spanish: Assens (Vaud) para niños